Your Past is My Future ✓

➻ Thirty-five

I had a vague sense of walking down a dark, damp hallway and by the time the world stopped tilting and whirling I was in a pale white room lit by only one light above.

The room was empty. Not even a chair.

A ceiling to floor drape hung on one section of the wall in front of me. The black drape made me recall the drape I'd found in the back of my own closet that had brought me to the young men.

I bit my lip a little. What were those boys doing right now? Were they perhaps trying to find a way to me? Or were they being sensible and trying to forget me and focus back on their busy and popular life. After all, how would they ever find me?

I crossed the floor pushed back the black drape and found only a small, bare storage closet behind it. Nothing to use to fight, nothing to use to communicate outside the world.

The door behind me abruptly opened and I whirled around to see Evan with ice walking into the room. He closed the door securely behind him and offered me one of his infuriating smiles.

"Why the hell are we here?" I demanded, heart pounding in my chest.

"Tut tut," Evan shook his head. "I will not allow my soon-to-be-wife to curse such profane language."

"I will never become your wife," I snarled.

"You wish to save your company do you not?"

I stilled.

Evan gave me a triumphant smile. "Ah yes, that's what I wanted to see."

"It's because of you I lost the company!" I yelled at Evan. Had I really thought him to be innocent? Had not Yoongi instantly suspected him as bad?

What I would give to see even grouchy Yoongi at the moment.

"Yes, but what if I promise to save the company if we both go back, hm?" Evan leaned forward with a wink. "You marry me, we have children, be happy. We'll know of the Chicago Fire now that we've gone into the future, and together, we'll save both our families. I'll sate my Granduncle's desires and unite the families."

It was horrid to imagine pretending to be a pretty little wife for this monster and a shudder ran through me.

"You almost had me fooled at first," Evan sighed when I didn't respond at first. "I'd never seen you before, so when you claimed to be Natalie, I almost believed you. I'd been waiting at that museum for perhaps almost a month, as it's been about a month since I've been tossed into this era."

"How did you even get here?" I whispered.

Evan licked his lips. "I knocked on your door that day of the proposal dinner. Your mother kept calling for you, but you never came. I offered to find you when your mother finally allowed me admittance into your home. You were nowhere to be seen and that's how I knew you'd gone to this era to fulfill your father's wish."

"My father's wish?" I frowned.

"Ah, did he tell you nothing before he departed this world?" Evan exhaled. "I shall be dutiful and inform you of what happened. Your father as well as my granduncle both had one wish each. One wish to be granted. Your father wished for you to find some silly 'seven knights to bring prosperity to the company.' Honestly, such a tactful business man should not have made such a ridiculous request."

"Be careful, Greene," I warned, clenching my fist. I would not stand by if this man insulted my dear father.

Evan pressed on as if he hadn't heard me. "My granduncle was much more smarter and called me from overseas to bestow his wish upon me. It was for me to take over your family and company and bring honor to my family."